Alameda County sales tax measure is apparent loser

It would have increased the county's transportation sales tax to a full 1 cent and made it permanent.

Alameda County election officials reported Friday morning that the "yes" vote for the tax increase was 66.53 percent of the 527,403 ballots -- about 667 votes shy of the two-thirds support needed to pass.

"There are no more votes to count," David Macdonald, the county registrar of voters, said in an email Friday. The results, however, are not official until they are certified sometime next week, he added.

Measure B1 is being closely watched in transportation circles because it was an attempt to make Alameda the first county in Northern California to levy a full one-cent sales tax for transportation.

The measure would have raised some $7.8 billion over three decades to increase funding for roads, freeways, public transit, trails, bicycle lanes and transit-oriented development.

All 14 city councils in the county, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, and many business, labor and environmental groups supported the measure as providing congestion relief and stable local funding for transportation.

Opponents said the tax increase was too much, and they objected that the ballot measure would make the tax permanent.

Some members of the Alameda County Transportation Commission have said they would favor putting the tax increase before voters again if the measure barely failed.

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Before the tax increase can be put on the ballot again, the state Legislature would have to approve a bill allowing the county to put the measure before voters.

The current total tax rate in most Alameda County cities is 8.75 cents for $1 of taxable goods. Passage of Measure B1 would have boosted that rate to 9.25 cents.